Spatiotemporal variations and regional differences of extreme precipitation events in the Coastal area of China from 1961 to 2014

•Regional differences of extreme precipitation events (EPEs) were revealed.•Insignificant tendency of EPEs was detected.•Primary period of EPEs varied from 2- to 7-year.•Abrupt change of EPEs occurred mainly in the 1990s and the 1970s.

Coastal area of China (CAC) is of high ecological vulnerability and extremely sensitive to global climate change. Based on daily precipitation dataset of 156 station records, spatial and temporal variations of extreme precipitation events from 1961 to 2014 in the coastal area of China were investigated using a set of mathematical and statistical methods including trend analysis, R/S analysis, wavelet analysis, Mann-Kendall test, accumulative anomaly analysis and Pettitt test. Results revealed that there was a generally insignificant upward and downward tendency of extreme precipitation events in the southern and northern coastal area, respectively. Persistent of tendency suggested that trends of extreme precipitation events in Huabei, Huanghuai, Jiangnan and Huanan coastal areas would continue but trends in Dongbei and Jianghuai coastal areas would mostly present contrary to the past in the future. Multi-year averages of all extreme precipitation indices except consecutive dry days (CDD) varied largely in the coastal area of China, generally highest in Huanan coastal area and lowest in Huabei coastal area. The primary period of extreme precipitation indices varied from 2- to 7-year in the sub-regions. The abrupt change of extreme precipitation indices occurred mainly in the 1990s and the 1970s in the CAC.